Chasing tennis balls at the U.S. Open has always struck us as a particularly grueling ordeal. For 24-year-old Kelly Bruno, whose right leg was amputated when she was six months old, all that leaping and diving and ball-scooping is nothing. Bruno's a major track star who's competed in Ironman competitions and triathlons, and had to beat out hundreds of other hopefuls for her ball girl position. "Before the second round, her athlete's mentality kicked in. She decided she would take the same route to the Open as the players: she would train. Instead of slice serves and topspin backhands, she would master the two-handed grab and the one-hop throw." Although Bruno tried out in part she tried out to bring exposure to disabled athletes, Bruno says her prosthesis is no disadvantage on the court: "For me the running is not as tiresome, but I didn't think standing was going to be so exhausting." [NYT]